Warbirds or not? From the 1930's...

[Mike Kopack]

Are they Warbirds if the photos were taken during service? Here's some 'new/old' shots.

My Grandfather took these photos while assigned to the Panama Canal Zone and Hawaii back in the late 30's and early 40's.


Boeing P-12E at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone


Aboard the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)



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Photos by:

Paul Kopack
Artilleryman and Photographer


Mike

[Tonyz]

Those are wonderful!   Please post more if you have them.  Nothing like little pieces of history that have a personal connection.

[evangilder]

I agree, Tony. Those are really neat! I know I would be interested in seeing more of those.

[Mike Kopack]

Here are a few more. Beyond these most of the pics are naval related (I've posted one, but hey, it has airplanes...) If anyone is interested in more let me know, I'll post them as well.

Mike


The USS Houston (CA-30) in 1935. The Houston was commissioned in 1930 and sunk on 01 Mar 1942 along with HMAS Perth at the Battle of Sundra Srait. Of her crew of 1008 men, 638 were lost in the battle and 104 died as POW's.
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The USS Saratoga (CV-3), America's first fast carrier. She was built from a converted Battle Cruiser keel and commissioned in 1927. She survived the war and the first atomic test at Bikini. A later underwater test, with a detonation less than 500 yards away was her end.
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This is the USS Constitution - "Old Ironsides" - seen on her last international
tour in while passing through the Panama Canal. The Constitution is the oldest
commissioned warship afloat, built in 1797. She serves on in Boston Harbour.
Visit her today at
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Photos by:
Paul Kopack
Artilleryman and Photographer

[Jan-Arie]

Hey Mr Kopack that are some cool photo's you have the planes on the first aircraftcarrier photo what sort of planes are they?? but keep them coming i love old photo's

[evangilder]

Great stuff, Mike! Having the history with the photos is the added bonus. Thanks for posting these.

[IcecreamLtDan]

Oh man, those are awesome!!   You could post those types of pics all day and i'd love it.

[Tonyz]

Granted this is an aviation site...but the sheer history of these photos is a welcome addition, be they naval, ground pounder or whatever!  Please post more!

[Roger]

Thanks for posting these, and please, post more if you have them.  I love this kind of historical photography.  BTW, exceptional quality on all these shots, for how old they are.

Cheers,
Rpger

[PJB]

The planes on the aft deck of the Sara appear to be Vought Vindicators.. at the rear, and Douglas Devastators ahead of those.

[Skys7]

Beautiful photographs! Love the shots of the Saratoga More, would indeed be better

[Mike Kopack]

Even though they're not aviation, I'll put the rest I have up...

Mike


The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) passing through the Milafores locks. The Oklahoma was commissioned in 1916 and was later capsized during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. She sank while under tow in 1947. The Oklahoma earned one battle star during the war.


The USS Nevada (BB-36) was commissioned in 1916 and served through WWII. She later survived two atomic tests at Bikini Atoll and was sunk by gunfire and aerial torpedos in 1947. The Nevada earned 7 battle stars in her service.


Unknown Battleship passing through the canal.

[Mike Kopack]

A couple more 'Naval subjects'.

Mike


This is the USS Ranger (CV-4). The Ranger was the first ship to be designed and built for the US Navy as a carrier, commissioned in 1934. She spent most of the war as the only large carrier in the US Atlantic Fleet. She earned 2 battle stars during the war and was sold as scrap in 1947.


Here The Fleet is home in Balboa Harbor.


Here three S-Class Submarines are at home in Balboa Harbor. Closest is S-12, commissioned in 1923 with a compliment of four officers and thirty-four enlisted men. She partolled the the area around the Canal Zone for most of her career from and from . She was decommissioned in 1945 and later scrapped.

[Mike Kopack]

A final few Naval photos.

Mike


Seen at Pier 18 is the Canadian Pacific Line's Empress of Britain. The Empress was the largest vessel ever built for a Canadian line, in 1931. In 1939 she became a troop transport and in October 1940 she was bombed and heavily damaged by Luftwaffe patrol aircraft. While under tow she was sunk by a German submarine, the largest noncombatant to be lost in the war.

Alongside the Empress of Britain is the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38). She was commissioned in 1916, the first of her class. She survived the war and both of the Bikini Atoll atomic tests and was scuttled in 1948. The Pennsylvania earned 8 battle stars for her service during WWII.


Here is yet another unknown vessel passing through the Canal.

[Mike Kopack]

I have to admit that after seeing these photos I was glad that I'd chosen the Air Force. We stayed in hotels with room service...

Mike


Here are the men of Battery 15 at their jungle emplacement. Even posing for photos shows a rough life. My Grandfather, in the center, told us that they were given ten days of rations and sent out into the jungle to man their gun emplacement several miles from the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. He told of being at the gun site on December 7 1941 and hearing of the attack on Pearl Harbor. They pulled out their maps and calculated the best transit time from the Hawaiian Islands to Panama, as they expected the Japanese to attempt to disable the Canal to prevent the US Atlantic Fleet from quickly augmenting the remains of the Pacific Fleet.


Time for work. My Grandfather is in the center facing the gun.

Photos by:
Paul Kopack
Artilleryman and Photographer